Beginner Fly Tying: Easy Caddis Pupa

Cheech - November, 2015

I have dabbled a lot in tying caddis pupae, and I have tied everything from super complicated to very simple. This pattern was born on one of those mad dashes of tying the night before a trip and realizing that I didn't have many sub-surface caddis patterns in my box. I whipped up some of the most basic patterns I could think of, and that involved a tungsten bead, a bit of dubbing, and a thread body. They worked fine the next day, but I wanted to add an element to maybe make them more realistic. I changed the body from thread to thin cut latex because the latex can add really good segmentation, and the results have been excellent. All in all, this is a pattern that has just enough realism to go along with it's simplicity, and the fish like to vacuum them up.

Material List
  • Hook: Daiichi 1120 - Heavy Wire Scud Hook - 16
  • Bead: Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads - Gold - 2.4mm
  • Thread: Danville Flat Waxed Nylon Thread - 70 Denier - Black
  • Body: Kiley's Nymph Skins - Caddis Green
  • Thorax: Nature's Spirit Hare's Mask Dubbing - Natural
Materials & Alternate Materials Listed Below
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread
Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread

Danville 6/0 Waxed Flymaster 70 Denier Thread

$3.49
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads
Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads

Fulling Mill Tungsten Beads

$7.25
Daiichi 1120 - Heavy Wire Scud Hook
Daiichi 1120 - Heavy Wire Scud Hook

Daiichi 1120 - Heavy Wire Scud Hook

$6.99
Kiley's Nymph Skins
Kiley's Nymph Skins

Kiley's Nymph Skins

$5.99
Nature's Spirit Hare's Mask Dubbing
Nature's Spirit Hare's Mask Dubbing
Nature's Spirit Hare's Mask Dubbing

Nature's Spirit Hare's Mask Dubbing

$2.99